Law and regulation

There were fewer institutions originating mortgages in 2013, while low- and moderate-income borrowers took a smaller share of industry volume, according to the recently released Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.

Mortgage underwriting overlays are not only tighter than they were precrisis, they're more restrictive than they were 15 years ago — a trend that Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro wants to change.

There is a good chance legislation that would provide regulatory relief to small banks and address concerns about which banks are dubbed systemically important could be wrapped in the same Senate bill next year, experts said at National Mortgage News's 4th Annual Regulatory Symposium.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint database is an excellent source of information to help lenders make adjustments and refine their operations.

The U.S. Attorney General seeks to lift a cap on whistleblower incentives that encourage a practice increasingly used in mortgage-based claims even as another U.S. official presses for more lending.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau remains committed to working with the financial services industry to improve the mortgage closing experience for consumers through the use of technology, CFPB director Richard Cordray said.

The commitment by the two housing giants marks a win for upstart VantageScore Solutions in its quest to compete against industry leader Fair Isaac Corp. However, the outcome of the review is uncertain, and Fannie warned that the costs of adopting new credit scores might prove to be "substantial" for lenders and others.

The loosening of mortgage credit "hasn't been as significant as some have reported," and first-time buyers remain scarce, complains Stuart Miller of homebuilder Lennar.

Home loans to lower-income Americans are dwindling as Washington regulators and major banks continue to haggle over who pays when riskier mortgages go bad.

At least two mortgage servicers say they are close to being released from an OCC enforcement order that required 14 of the nation’s largest bank servicers to fix flaws in their foreclosure reviews. But the OCC says it has set no timetable for freeing any of the banks from the 2011 order.

During a wide-ranging discussion of the economy and regulation, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf cited several factors that were harming the housing market. His comments came the same day the White House hosted a meeting on the topic.

A bill introduced in the House Financial Services Committee would eliminate appraisal requirements established by the Dodd-Frank Act for certain higher-risk mortgages when lenders hold the loans in portfolio for at least three years.

California is planning to sell $110 million of veterans general obligation bonds in a competitive offering Thursday.

Banks and mortgage lenders may have received too much relief from loan buybacks, putting taxpayers at greater risk for losses, according to a Federal Housing Finance Agency inspector general's report.

U.S. Bank in Minneapolis will pay nearly $11,500 to a Native American couple in North Dakota to settle a lending-discrimination complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In his first major policy speech as the new housing secretary, Julian Castro voiced support for a Senate bill to reform housing finance and said policymakers should "remove the stigma associated with promoting homeownership."

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's plan to restrict membership to the Federal Home Loan Bank System could cost lenders hundreds of billions in mortgage funding, according to the CEO of the Chicago FHLB.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Fannie Mae may actually be helping banks and mortgage lenders boost their bottom lines through better oversight of their third-party vendors.

New York regulator Benjamin Lawsky has begun investigating possible predatory lending practices at companies that originate short-term, high-interest loans secured by a borrower's home.

The Federal Housing Administration raised mortgage insurance fees during the financial crisis in order to cover a wave of defaults. Now that the housing market has steadied, the agency should adjust its policies.